“You should get a pressure cooker,” my friends told me. And I resisted. “I don’t need any more kitchen equipment,” I’d say. And they persisted. Finally I caved. I’m not afraid to admit I was wrong. I won’t go so far as to say the pressure cooker has changed my life, but it does allow me to make delicious meals in minutes, like this one. And beans from dry to cooked and delicious without soaking in under an hour. I’ll leave you with one final thought: you should get a pressure cooker.

Quick and Easy Hearty Minestrone

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, sliced

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups kale, torn into bite sized pieces

2 cups kidney beans, or 1 15-ounce can

2 tablespoons fresh oregano or one teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried

4 cups water or vegetable broth

1 15-ounce can tomatoes in juice (whole or diced is fine)

pinch salt

Directions

Place all ingredients in the pressure cooker and cook on the soup/stew setting for 30 minutes. Enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Note that you can change this according to your preferences – use white beans instead of kidney, your favorite herbs, etc.